I’ve seen SuperBad twice now and I still have not heard all of the jokes. Because SuperBad is one of those movies that you need to see in a packed movie theater. But that also means that you’ll miss some of the jokes. Not because people are talking or texting, that wasn’t going on when I saw the film. But because people were laughing so hard that you would miss the quick follow-up joke comebacks. I left the second screening earlier this week, with my stomach and throat in disrepair from laughing so much and so hard. How often can you claim to be physically ill from having so much fun?

SuperBad is the best teen comedy since American Pie. Not only that, but it’s one of the best comedy films of the last twenty years. One thing I have noticed is the best of the best comedy films stand up to multiple viewings. And as I said, I laughed just as much, if not more, seeing the film the second time around.

SuperBad is a more adolescent film than Apatow’s Knocked Up. And I’m clearly in the target age range of the latter, but have always related more to youthful comic moments. After seeing SuperBad for the first time I decided that Knocked Up was a better film, but I quickly changed my mind on second viewing. The best part about this film is that it has so many stories going on that each could function on their own.

When I first saw the film at Comic Con, I was with a much younger group who praised the Seth and Evan part for being so realistically funny. The second time around I saw the film with a friend and critic who is slightly older (older as in not in his 20’s), and he seemed to relate way more to the side story with McLoving and the two clueless cops. And I think that’s one thing that is great about the last two Apatow produced films: they connect with the audiences in different ways simultaneously. In my review for Knocked Up I talked a bit about how my female friends looked at one of the arguments in the film (driveway, fantasy sports league) in a totally different light than my male friends. And the film was able to divide the audience, yet still keep them for the big story. That takes talent.

And I’ve always been partial to not only teen films, but films that take place over the course of one day or night. Because some of my best moments from my teen years are those one night adventures. Did those adventures change the course of my life forever? No, because unfortunately life isn’t a movie.

I’ve rambled on long enough. If you are going to see any movie in the next month see SuperBad.